The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-03
RUTH'S VALENTINE.
BY MISS FIoRRNeE.

NO, ma am, no! Sorry to say it has
not; trains off the track agsin-very
hard winter" said the talkative clerk.
but here's something for Miss Ruth
a valentine, 1 suppose, being it's st.
Valentines day."
The old lady carefully placed the
valentine and her spectacles in her dress
pocket, and drawing her shawl more
closely around her, left the little cocn-
try store, which also served as the vii
lage postofice, and walked briskly home.
why, is that you, Miss Brown Glad
to see you! Walk right in. Danny's
got toothache real bad, eh! and wants
some hops. Yes, III go right up in the
DARK room and get 'em afore take my
bunnet off don't allow no one in there
but myself, you know, unless it's an I'M
common occasion"
The old lady took no candle with her,
as she said light spilled" herbs, and she
could find every packet of them with
her eyes shut; but in drawing her hand
kerchief from her pocket, in which to
carry out the hops, she drew Ruth's
SllDDcO
the floor unnoticed and forgotten:
The great. blazing logs of moss
covered wood piled high upon the old
fashioned brass andirons filed the
roomy kitchen of the old farmhouse
with delicious, piny odor, and the rudy
light transformed the yellow painted
floor, with its mats of gray rag carpet,
and the old chintZ- covered furniture,
into rare beauty; and Ruth, in her neat
black dress, was all that was needed to
make the picture perfect. So thought
Doctor Felix Lennon, when he drove up
to the door to inquire for her; but she
had gone to her cousin Hester's to pre-
pare for the sleigh-ride that evening to
Nut Swamp.
The evening shadows had deepened,
and the stars were clear and sparkling in
the frosty air as he left the farmhouse
and drove along in the direction of Nut
Swamp" He was distinguished look
ing man and the pride of the villagers,
and if he would consent to be present at
any of their little gatherings, they were
always sure of having pleasant time.
So when May Marshall saw him join
her friends, she at once gave him plenty
to do in assisting her to entertain her
He was most rare vocalist, and his
voice, though sweeter than ever, had
the faintest sound of tears; and when,
called upon to sing that half-forgotten
song, "Then You'll Remember Me-" he
bent his soft gray eyes upon Ruth's
face, and met but the same steady look
it always wore, he turned away with
disappointment written on his face, and
studiously avoided her for the rest of the
evening; but to the last of his days he
remembered her dress-a crimson
merino. AS soon as politeness would
permit, he left them, but the sky was
overcast with dark clouds, and soon the
snow came faster and faster, and wild
storm broke over the country.
The tall cedars went and waved in the
angry wind. and the now frightened
horse few along, regardless of the sooth-
ing words of his master, whose hands
were fast getting too numb to guide
him. There were a few moments of
suspense, and then came crash, and
DR.. Felix knew no more untiphe saw
Farmer Chapman's anxious face bend
ing over him.
Carefully and tenderly he was carried
into the spare bedroom By Farmer Chap
man and his farm laborer, Jerry, who
the kind young doctor.
Would he die? The seconds grew into
minutes, the minutes into hours, and
Ruth was crouching on the floor of the
old kitchen, with her head buried in the
sofa cushions. waiting and dreading the
decision of the surgeons, and praying
for his life. At last the spare room
door was opened and she sprang to her
feet as she heard the words:
Cannot be removed; will doubtless be
lame for life."
Ruth did not faint. She was strong,
sensible girl, and never had tainted in
her life, and now there was too much to
do, and she must not be coward. She
had thought that perhaps DR.. Felix
might have cared little for her, and
she must have been crazy to think so,
she said slowly to herself, as she
glanced in the old-fashioned looking
glass, whose carved frame was still dec
GRATED with sprigs of holly, and the Der
ries of the asparagus run wild-must
have been crazy, with such an awfully
ugly face; and she poked the fire again
and again, as if it were the cause of all
her trouble.
IF only had some of that fennel
now-I'm sure DR.. Felix would like it.
But this beef tea must be closely
watched, and the girls nowadays are so
giddy, though mebbe-here, l say, Ruth,
you Just 90 gently into the dark room,
and be sure to shet the door after We
and then hand down some Of that fennel
for the doctor"
Ruth did as she was hidden slowly
and listlessly, and where was the fennel2
This packet was marked "boneset," this
one "pennyroyal." this one "catnip,"
this one-surely her mothers precious
fenneI was not lying on the dusty floor
She went for more light nearer the door
she had purposely left open, land then saw
her own name. Ruth Chapman! A
valentine for me-but how did it get
there. and from whom is 2"
She forgot all about The fennel, SO alb
sorbed was she in the study of her valen-
tine, so neat and 30 pretty, not one of
those elaborate combinations of guilt,
embossed paper and tlattery, but sim
pie card, on whose delicate, cream
tinted surface was painted q single
flower, q pansy. II think of thee" it
would say if it could speak, and surely
no other hand than DR.. Felix's could
paint like that, thought Ruth, and with
that thought the white dove, of peace
IT L. l.